BRIDGNORTH TEAM MINISTRYTEAM PLAN 2013-2014

SUMMARY

VISION AND MISSION

This Plan covers the following churches:

St Mary Magdalene BridgnorthSt Leonard’s Hall Church

St James’ Hall ChurchSt Nicholas Oldbury

St Mary Magdalene QuatfordSt Calixtus Astley AbbotsSt Peter and St Paul Tasley

andthe planning needs for the integration of the Morville Group of Churches

(Morville, Aston Eyre, Monkhopton, Acton Round)

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CONTENTS

VISION AND MISSION

Vision Statement The Five Marks of Mission

MISSION ACTION PLANNING EXISTING AREAS OF MINISTRY AND DEVELOPMENT GOALS

A) CHURCH Leadership Every Member Ministry Worship Prayer Healing Ministry Discipleship Occasional Offices – Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals Welcome Pastoral Care Stewardship Children and Young People

Social

B) COMMUNITY Schools Safeguarding Messy Church

The Elderly Communication Civic Responsibilities Ecumenical

C) MISSION AND OUTREACH Evangelism Community World Mission The Environment

D) Annual Review of Plans and Progress

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VISION AND MISSION

VISION STATEMENT

Our aim is to follow Jesus, as Christian communities, families and individuals. We desire to grow in love for God, one another and the towns and villages we serve. Committed to being people of prayer we will wait on and listen to God and study His Word while serving Him and those around us. As we work together to recognize, encourage and develop the gifts God has given, we want to enable every member of the Bridgnorth Team to be involved in mission and ministry; making disciples and enabling the building up and extending of His church and Kingdom among and around us.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.” “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:1 and 15:

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THE FIVE MARKS OF MISSION OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

We will work together with God and in his strength, and with the help of the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s Mission in these five ways:

1. Proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom (Tell)

Proclamation may be in words – effective communication of the Gospel – but always in the way we live out the good news – in our attitudes and actions .

2. Teaching, baptizing and nurturing new believers (Teach)

Christian discipleship is about lifelong learning, so we need formal and informal resources for growing in faith, so that the Church is a learning environment for all ages.

3. Responding to human need by loving service (Tend)

By caring for and serving people in all life’s situations we seek to follow the 3rd Mark of Mission. Our response must be to the church community and to the wider community. This plan seeks to respond to people at all stages of life and at those special times when they turn to the Church for service or succour.

4. Seeking to be transformed and to transform unjust structures in society (Transform)

Jesus, and the Old Testament prophets before him, challenged oppressive structures in God’s name. Christians should not only press for change but also demonstrate justice within church structures.

5. Striving to safeguard the integrity of creation, to sustain and renew the life of the earth (Treasure)

The Bible’s vision of salvation is universal in its scope. We are called to promote the wellbeing of the human community and its environment so that Creation may live in harmony.

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MISSION ACTION PLANNING

MAPping

In order to develop a plan which is owned by us all and seeks to meet the needs of those to whom we minister we need to have a clear picture of where we are (context) and a good idea of the situation of our communities. This will involve church and community “audits” which can be done formally or informally – otherwise known as Mission Action Planning or “MAPping”.

Mission Action Planning is a reminder to us as individuals and as groups of Christians worshipping together as churches, to pause, prayerfully and periodically, to listen hard for what God is calling us to be and to do in the time and the place we are set and not just to listen but to act with faith and with focused intention so that the call can be lived out and the ideas become practical reality.

Mission Action Planning is a call to heartfelt, world-changing prayer:"Your kingdom come on earth as in heaven". It's a risky, hope-filled prayer because God has a habit of saying "that's great - I hear your prayer - now help me do that...!" Mission Action Planning is a reminder and invitation to prayer, to deep listening for God's call and invitation and offers a range of approaches and resources to help groups of Christians and churches work collaboratively and intentionally with God and with each other, so that ideas more often turn into practical reality.

The main strategic focus in 2013/14 will be the MAPping process for each of the 5 churches which will help us to refine our plans for individual churches and for the Team from September 2014.

This document along with its accompanying Churches document is the first step in this process.

To make the best of this process we need to listen: to God, one another and to our communities; to learn: from scripture, from the past and from one another; and to love God and one another.

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EXISTING AREAS OF MINISTRYAND AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

A) CHURCH

LEADERSHIP

The parishes each have their own Parochial Church Council, which meet at regular intervals, according to the needs of the particular area. The four smaller parish PCCs meet about four times a year. The LMDG meets together monthly and attends training were appropriate and has spent an away day together focusing on prayer.Churchwardens meet together about four times a year. In addition the Team Treasurers meet at regular intervals.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Staff – regular retreats and away days LMDG – training and development Conferences Conventions CMD (Continuing Ministry Development) Meetings

EVERY MEMBER MINISTRY

As a church we believe the body of Christ can only flourish when each person takes up their calling from God to be the person that He has created them to be. This takes mutual nurture and encouragement in order that we may each step into the future that God envisages for us. Experience has shown from earliest times that the best way of achieving this is by immersing people in small groups in which such mutual encouragement and nurturing can take place.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Preaching, small groups – identifying and developing gifts Learning to articulate our faith – stories, testimonies, etc

WORSHIP

FOR DEVELOPMENT

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Explore alternative timetables of Sunday services, including potentially services at other times of the week, in order to initially provide services at more appropriate times for families at Quatford and Astley Abbotts. Leadership resources?

Develop one main service per week at each church which specifically meets the needs of young families/all-ages and may be non-eucharistic.

Develop congregational participation in leading worship – developing and designing worship, readers, intercessors, communion assistants, testimonies, etc, including children and young people.

Develop series of training workshops re welcome, reading, leading intercessions, HC assistance, etc – Deanery level? Training needs include coaching for congregation members taking part in drama (esp younger members). Geoff Speechly has volunteered microphone training. Further training opportunities to be researched.

Develop Forum of Team churches to share good practice and experience – including visiting each other’s churches for Family worship services.

Review Team services: Advent? Candlemas? Lent, Good Friday, ?Holy Saturday, Rogation, Ascension and Pentecost.

Encourage the work of the choirs at St. Mary’s and Oldbury/Quatford, and Astley Abbotts/Tasley.

Develop opportunities for pastoral ministry of stewards and sidesmen: Ministry to - training and regular meetings to help them to understand their role and foster prayer and fellowship. Ministry by - the training should equip them to fulfill administrative duties but also to minister to their Sunday congregations and perform a pastoral role by identifying absences and needs and passing this information on to clergy/LMDG members. New stewards to be recruited and trained.

Learn more modern hymns/songs for use in worship Develop annual programme of seasonal/agricultural/outdoor services. Visit Fresh Expressions.

PRAYER

Daily Prayer is centred on the Morning Office at St. Mary’s. There is a prayer request box available at St. Mary’s (prayed for in Morning Office) alongside prayer aids in St Mary’s Lady Chapel.Prayer prompts appear in the weekly notices sheet from Jane Peeler.

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FOR DEVELOPMENT

Christians at Work needs a notice board and triplets need re-invigorating. Team Prayer meeting monthly – day/time to be reviewed, more creative

sessions being developed. Opportunities for congregational prayer to be encouraged including existing prayer book at St Mary’s and including in intercessions at all churches and Anniversary Book at St Mary’s. The work of the Prayer Circle needs to be restarted.

HEALING MINISTRY

FOR DEVELOPMENT

To be maintained and developed at St Mary’s and expanded across the Team.

Open ministry to the public needs to be explored further with publicity. Testimony of God’s grace and answers to prayer to be encouraged in

services and via Cross+Link. Weekly laying on of Hands in Bridgnorth and Healing services.

DISCIPLESHIP

Discipleship is key to everything we are and do

A programme for small groups was established in autumn 2012 with mixed results, some will continue others are to be reviewed. During Lent 2013 people signed up to follow a course encouraging new ways to read the Bible. Groups were lead by various leaders and it proved successful.

The Team plan the teaching content of Sunday Worship Services each quarter, including occasional sermon series.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

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Develop a range of accessible groups meeting permanently and periodically and encourage congregational involvement across the Team. Ensure that groups do not become exclusive and review situation regularly.

Lent: Wednesday Worship in Lent. Lent study courses - choose course, leaders and venues and develop publicity and explanatory leaflets. Possibly Stations of the Cross. Good Friday and Lent Saturdays.

Teaching on Prayer. Adult baptism Confirmation Start course, Alpha, Pilgrim etc. Develop periodic Quiet Days, local Retreats and away days/weekends. LMDG away-days. PCC away-days – 2 pa. Whole Team weekend for 2014. Encourage home group away-days.

OCCASIONAL OFFICES

FOR DEVELOPMENT Adult baptism Baptism prep Confirmation Study courses

Office tightening up on Weddings administration to ensure all practical arrangements in place two months before the wedding.

Early contact by clergy with couples.MU support and prayer for marriage couples.Marriage preparation days – new venue and revised content. Lay couples

assisting. and follow up post wedding to be initiated. Follow-up after occasional offices (Baptisms, weddings, funerals) Ongoing contact with wedding couples. Where couples are local they will

be invited to appropriate events. Ongoing invitations to appropriate events for baptism families. Development of programmes is needed into which we can feed families. Bereavement Support Group (BSG) to continue to follow up bereaved

families . To be enhanced by a card ministry at anniversaries as well as the six monthly services of commemoration.

WELCOME

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A culture of welcome exists in all of the churches.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

In the first instance a simple response card in each church for newcomers. Followed up with a pack developed to show church events, organizations,

home group contacts and programmes for different groups. Continue to develop a culture of welcome in all churches.

PASTORAL CARE

The policy was reviewed and approved by the LMDG in May 2013. Residential homes. Visiting. Hospital.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

BSG to following Just Listening DVD training course. Increase BSG membership. BSG meetings every 2 months. Closer liaison from staff members and advance introductions to be given by service officiants.

STEWARDSHIP

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Teaching and preaching

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Annual focus on financial giving. Charitable giving by churches.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

A junior church exists at St Mary’s. The Town’s Christian youth worker, John Proctor works at The Bridge, across the churches in the deanery and in the schools. Nic Hirsch and Reverend Laura Hill run a young people’s group at Laura’s house each Thursday prior to choir practice. Messy Church is run by the Team on the fourth Wednesday of the month in term time at St James’ Hall Church. Family services take place at St Mary’s on the fourth Sunday and at Tasley and Astley Abbotts on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

A register of all involved in children’s ministry and with vulnerable adults and working in the team is maintained by Shona Holland. CRBs were updated as required in 2012/3.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Needs for CRB renewals to be monitored. A register for those visiting vulnerable adults to be created. Annual reviews of disability needs to be undertaken by each church. CRBs – review every year. Complete update due in 2017. Admission of children to communion to be encouraged and instruction

given. At present this only happens at St Mary’s. Review Baptism policy, preparation and follow-up, helpers. Maintain and

refine on-going preparation and support for Baptism families. Increase membership of Baptism visiting teams. Review Preparation - possibly to include an evening prep meeting for godparents as well.

Confirmation - Annual Confirmation preparation sessions. Junior Church at St Mary’s John Prockter Young Family Praise/Little Stars – Research in order to establish viability

of restarting. Research with schools, local agencies, other churches re need for

parenting courses. Mothers Union (need to say how?)

SOCIAL

Friends of St Mary’s, co-ordinated by Chris O’Brien includes trips and a monthly Friend’s Fellowship lunch at The Shakespeare.

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Friends of St Calixtus, co-ordinated by Juanita Gennard consists of regular congregation social programmes, e.g. meals, quizzes, etcEach PCC organizes a menu of social events, often as a part of its fund raising, but which can also form a valuable outreach role.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

More social events across the team churches. Men’s Breakfasts ‘Moral Maze’ Evenings with local speakers

B) COMMUNITY

We are represented at Deanery and Diocesan committees. The Rector is a member of General Synod. We are developing and strengthening our links with community bodies including:

Town TwinningHaydn and other festivals use the churchesThe Good Shepherd (Wolverhampton)Trusteeships of local charities (Note St. Leonard’s School Trust requiring further trustees to function)Community Transport projectThe Village Hall Committees of Oldbury, Eardington, Tasley, Quatford, Astley Abbotts and Morville.

There are congregational links to the following organisations:Alzheimer’s Support Group, Mental Health Team, Patient Support Group, Oxfam, Fair Trade Groups, Bridgnorth Africa Project, Under Tree Schools, Sustainable Bridgnorth, Amnesty International, Mothers’ Union, The Good Shepherd, Wolverhampton, The Bridge, Bridgnorth Food Bank.

SCHOOLS

There are a number of schools within the town with both clergy and lay members of the church on most governing bodies. Clergy and lay members take school assemblies at three church primary schools. Access to the secondary schools is more limited, although good relations exist with R.E. staff in both schools. The Open the Book Team visits all four primary schools weekly.

PRIMARY:

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St Leonard’s CE St Mary’s Bluecoat CE SchoolCastlefields CPSt John’s Roman Catholic SchoolMorville CE Primary

SECONDARY:Bridgnorth Endowed SchoolOldbury Wells School

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Provide, monitor and review weekly Assemblies at St Mary’s, St Leonard’s and St John’s – teaching in 2012/13 following Open the Book sessions each week.

Develop School Eucharist at St. Leonard’s & St. Mary’s Schools including guidelines for the reception of children to communion where there is no other church contact.

Renew our links & visits with both Secondary Schools. Develop links with Castlefields PS – (OTB there each week). Ensure full complement of Foundation governors at St Mary’s and St

Leonard’s Schools and Promote Christian ethos through governance. Develop Prayer Groups at St Leonard’s and St Mary’s Schools. Support and advise RE teachers at St Mary’s and St Leonard’s Schools.

SAFEGUARDING (included above?)

MESSY CHURCH Review Jan-Mar 2014 Pram service?

THE ELDERLY

There are a number of Residential Homes for the elderly within the Team area. The largest are Oldbury Grange at Oldbury, Innage Grange in town and Danesford Grange in the Quatford area where monthly services are held. There are also warden controlled flats, where communion is taken once a month. A new ‘assisted living’ unit is also being built on Salop Street. Marjorie Brooks maintains a list of ongoing commitments by church members, and a Pastoral

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Care Group has been established. The Friends of St Mary’s is a group organizing social events and outings as above.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Residential Homes - Continuing regular Holy Communion and developing visiting patterns – some LMDG members, congregation members and clergy.

Friends of St Mary’s

COMMUNICATION

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Website to be redesigned and relaunched. Working group set up to oversee. Specific people nominated to update sections.

Facebook Cross Link – working group to develop content, design, editorial,

advertising, production and distribution. Find people to provide regular articles to Bridgnorth Journal, What’s

What, Review and Shropshire Star. Record sermons etc. Weekly Newsheet to be regularly reviewed. Review notices boards and displays in churches. Team Calendar Lectionaries, rotas, etc

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES

St Mary’s has a specific role in the Civic life of the town, with regular services being held during the course of the year. Each year a member of the ecumenical clergy Team serves as Chaplain to the Mayor. In 2013/4 this role is to be shared

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amongst the town’s ministers. Members of the congregation serve on the Town Council and in 2013/4 Ray Gill, a retired Baptist Minister, is Town Mayor.

The town has a small hospital and the Team Rector is Chaplain to the hospital, sharing responsibility for the weekly Sunday communion there with other members of the clergy Team.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Negotiate and develop Bridgnorth Hospital chaplaincy services after the retirement of Rev. Tim O’Brien from priestly ministry.

Contact with the Town Council to be maintained with regard to civic and community events.

ECUMENICAL

Within the town there are Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist/United Reform and free Evangelical Churches with whom we have good working relationships. Clergy meet together regularly. There are regular united services as well as ecumenical study groups during Lent, etc. The Bridgnorth Foodbank, started in 2013, is an ecumenical project involving laity and ministers from all the churches as well as some who do not attend any church.An umbrella Charitable Trust is being set up to bring all the churches community work under one supervisory body, which will supercede a private charitable trust which has been used for this purpose whilst it has been set up.

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Resolve appropriate level of covenant between the churches and goodwill built upon.

Week of Prayer to include pulpit exchanges, and development of ecumenical services

Development of Messy Church to be ecumenical. Ecumenical day courses are encouraged, e.g. Good Friday workshops

with the Baptist church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Lent, etc.

Work through Ministers’ Group (monthly meeting) to promote cooperation and collaboration whenever relevant.

Food Bank Christians Against Poverty – debt counseling Bookshop/café in High Town

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C) MISSION AND OUTREACH

EVANGELISM

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Presentation of our built heritage to enable it to proclaim the faith we share with its builders and those who have shaped it.

COMMUNITY

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Regular opportunities to be given for congregation members to speak of their involvement, which should be encouraged.

Encouragement to be given to church members to be involved in all aspects of the wider community life as they are called.

Links need to be made through the prayer diary.

WORLD MISSION

THE ENVIRONMENT

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Build upon congregational links to Sustainable Bridgnorth. Ensure ongoing church developments are environmentally appropriate. Take steps to reduce carbon footprint through appropriate insulation. Continue to explore the possibility of solar panels at St Mary’s and other

churches as appropriate Install separate bins for recyclable waste from kitchens etc. The maintenance of the built heritage of the church and its churchyards. Explore opportunities for developing wildflower areas in churchyards and

the use of sheep for grazing where appropriate.

ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANS AND PROGRESS

How do we monitor and evaluate? How will we celebrate our achievements?

What is on God’s heart for Bridgnorth? What deep longings has he given us? What roles are we to fulfill in helping to realise God’s vision for our area in 2013/14? When we explore doing something, we need to be sure of our

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motivation; always seeking God’s direction on how it fits in to the wider vision.

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